


St. Valentine's Dilemma

by generalisms



Series: St. Valentine's Dilemma [1]
Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: M/M, Valentine's Day, angst? light angst?, apologies for being uploaded like after valentine's day lol, happy ending I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29460045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/generalisms/pseuds/generalisms
Summary: Mihashi is having difficulty figuring out what to do for him and his boyfriend, Abe, during their first Valentine's Day together.
Relationships: Abe Takaya & Mihashi Ren, Abe Takaya/Mihashi Ren, Shinooka Chiyo/Tomoi Ayano
Series: St. Valentine's Dilemma [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2163840
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	1. St. Valentine's Dilemma: Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm so glad to have finally written an (incomplete, but planned) Oofuri fic! I've been meaning to write one for a while now, but I guess I just lacked the motivation and confidence when the thought first struck me. Apologies if this is a bit poorly written, for this is the first time in I believe 2 or 3 years that I've written creatively (aside from just jotting down story ideas and such). Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy it!

_What… will I do today… for… Abe-kun..._ thought Mihashi, on his way to school. He couldn’t wait to get inside, somewhere shielded from the cold. Even though he was completely bundled up in layers upon layers of clothing with a soft and woolen coat to top it all off, Mihashi was still freezing. The windchill added an extra layer of iciness for Mihashi, for his cheeks weren’t covered. The weatherman said that it may snow later on that day, something that everybody was looking forward to (that is, if the wind died out): that winter season had been an odd one due to the fact that not a single fleck of snow fell in Saitama thus far. 

As Mihashi rubbed his gloved hands together, he continued to run ideas through his head of what to do during Valentine’s day with Abe. _Maybe… we can go ice skating… or go to the park… the park will be too cold, though…_ Mihashi thought as he continued down the sidewalk. His hands were rigidly stuffed in his coat pockets, and his cheeks were flushed rosy-pink. The air in front of Mihashi’s lips condensed into a wispy veil of water vapor with each exhale. _Abe-kun… and I… can maybe have dinner… together… no… maybe Abe-kun is busy for dinner..._

Mihashi continued down the sidewalk lined with lamp posts and newspaper stands. His new boots made a nice, crisp ‘clack’ whenever he took a step. _Click… clack… click… clack…_ Paired with his dad’s overcoat, it made him feel taller and more elegant than he actually was. Mihashi always thought about how graceful Abe was: from his tall, defined build, to the way his lips moved whenever he spoke, and the way he walked, and all of those subtle mannerisms that were so specifically Abe, like the way in which he would pick up and put down chopsticks… 

For such a romantic holiday, the weather was awfully bleak: overcast skies, bitter coldness, and the like. The sky had cast a grey tone over the area, causing the town to look especially desolate. The trees had all shed their leaves, only a few odd people walking about, and the only sounds that Mihashi heard were the faint sounds of his footsteps against the howling of the harsh wind. He had noticed all of this, and subconsciously or consciously, it had an effect on his current state of mind. _What if… I tell him… too late, and... he says that he is already busy… what if… Abe-kun is already busy… and he will say no… maybe… he will just say no! But Abe-kun would never do that to me… right? right..._

As Mihashi was walking down the path whilst staring down at his boots, he suddenly heard a shout from across the street:

“Hey, Mihashi!! What’s up!!” yelled Tajima, wearing just a thin crewneck sweater and some jeans. Tajima’s shout echoed due to the two-story apartments that lined the road and sidewalk. Tajima carelessly ran across the street and went beside Mihashi.

“H-hey, Tajima!” said Mihashi in his characteristically frail, yet excited manner. He turned his head and smiled at Tajima. 

“Hey, Mihashi, you look awfully pale today!” exclaimed Tajima. “Your skin’s the color of baby powder! Haha!”

Mihashi, now overly self-aware about his complexion, panicked and frantically took his arm out of his coat pocket. He looked at his hand and noticed how his skin was more pallid than usual. _Am I more pale... because it’s cold outside… or am I just nervous… about… what to do with Abe-kun…_ he thought, staring at his hand.

After Mihashi stared at his hand for a few seconds with a blank look on his face, Tajima energetically waved his hand in front of Mihashi’s face, which promptly startled him. Mihashi jumped up like a frightened cat and froze in his tracks. 

“Hellooo? Earth to Mihashi? Are you ok there, buddy?” asked Tajima, continuing to wave his hand in front of Mihashi’s face. 

“...Yes, Tajima-kun… I am… ok! It is just… cold… outside…” said Mihashi. “We… should… continue! To school… so we can get inside…”

“Alright, sounds good pal!” said Tajima as he bore his trademark smile. Mihashi thought he could see a sparkle in one of Tajima’s pearly-white teeth. 

He threw his arm around Mihashi’s shoulder, staggering Mihashi. Tajima started cheerfully marching towards school with his left arm wrapped around Mihashi’s shoulders. Tajima continued to grin his bright and wide smile, gazing left and right at their surroundings.

Even with his friend right beside him, Mihashi couldn’t help but think about his plans with Abe. _What... will I do... with Abe-kun_ , thought the troubled Mihashi, blankly staring down at the path in front of him. _What will I do... with... Abe-kun..._


	2. St. Valentine's Dilemma: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: Apologies if I am not using Japanese honorifics correctly, for I barely know anything about them. For most of them, I asked my friends at the Oofuri Discord server (feel free to join us, by the way! link is pinned on my Twitter page, @/cornwellianism.  
> Special thanks to @lesbianchiyo and all of the other wonderful people in the Oofuri Discord for inspiring me to write!  
> Also, apologies if my writing isn't as good this time around, this past week has certainly been exhausting for me! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story!

Mihashi and Tajima eventually reached the front of Nishiura High. Despite first period being in fifteen minutes, no one was outside, which was most certainly a rare occurrence. Usually, students would hang out at the front steps of the school until right before first period began, but due to the inclement weather, not a soul was there except for the two of them.

As Mihashi walked closer and closer to the front door, an overwhelming feeling of sickness hit him, a nausea so grey and cold that he had to stop in his tracks and catch his breath for a few seconds. _I… must… decide soon… or else… I won’t do anything with Abe… and he won’t like me! He will… hate me… for not deciding… for not planning… I don’t want him to hate me… because I love-_

“Hey, Mihashi, are you alright? You don’t look too well…” interrupted Tajima, in a concerned manner so different from his usual, cheery self. Mihashi was staring at the ground below him, so Tajima had crouched down to peer up at Mihashi’s face. 

“I… I’m- good! Tajima-kun… I think… I am just… cold! Let’s go… inside!”

“Hmm… are you sure Mihashi? You still seem a little bit… down. If there’s anything you want to talk about, I’m here.”

“No… I… am good! See!” Mihashi then stretched mouth and cheeks backwards with his fingers, giving him an unnatural, albeit characteristically Mihashi, smile. 

“There you are!” spoke Tajima, who gave Mihashi a big, friendly slap on his back. Tajima threw his arms around Mihashi’s shoulders and they started walking together. Even with the warmth of Tajima beside him, the negative thoughts kept on persisting. _I’m… not good enough… for Abe… not loyal… enough…_ Tajima continued to speak in the background, saying a joke or something, but Mihashi’s sense of reality faded before his very eyes and his intrusive thoughts continued to indefinitely seep in. Mihashi felt so lost, as if caught up in his own world of worries and despair, a world so disillusioning. Even when trying to distract himself by attempting to tune in to Tajima's jokes and ramblings, his mind wandered back to the elephant in the room: How he perceived himself as not being good enough, for being so disorganized in his plans for his significant other. How he had already let down the man he loves… 

-

Finally, the pair entered the school itself. A blast of warm air from the heaters welcomed the two into the building. The light from the overcast skies shone through the large windows of the school, casting a consistent grey tone over the interior. Fellow students, equally bundled up in layers of coats, scarves, and the like, were dotted about the halls and stairways. Mihashi began to unbutton his coat. 

“Mihashi, I’ll catch you later! I’ve a class to get to… Shiga-sensei is particularly strict about arriving at 8:25 sharp! Even though technically the period hasn’t begun yet… See you later!” said Tajima, and, without batting an eye, ran off down a hallway. 

“B-b-bye! Tajima-kun! I… will see you... later!” Mihashi stood there and watched Tajima dash off. 

Mihashi walked down the other hallway, towards his locker, when he noticed a stand operated by Chiyo Shino’oka: it was a plastic, foldable table covered in red cloth with some pink hearts and white streamers scattered about. The sign at the front of the table read: “Valentine’s Day Candy Sale: All proceeds go to the Saitama Red Cross Hospital.” Behind the table stood Chiyo, in a tan-colored cardigan, white starched dress shirt, and her classic, rosy-pink, long bowtie. In front of her was a neatly organized array of candies: pink boxes of Sweethearts, red tin-foil wrapped chocolates, and red lollipops wrapped in cellophane. Chiyo noticed Mihashi walking down the hallway and politely waved at him. 

“Hello there, Ren! How has your Valentine’s Day been so far?” asked Chiyo.

“H-hello, S-shino’oka-san! I have been… good…” Mihashi’s thoughts started to veer. _Has… my day… really been that good? I… feel awful… for not… deciding yet! Abe-kun will be so… disappointed…_ Mihashi was staring at the table in front of him whilst thinking. _No… plan... yet! feel… horrible… I am... a disappointment to Abe-kun..._

Suddenly, he noticed the candies in front of him. Then, a thought it hit him like a train: _I… can… get… candies for Abe-kun! I… know… it’s not much… but… but... it’s better than nothing! Maybe… I can… hide it somewhere! Or… give it to him… with a note! Maybe… we can... do something later!_

Chiyo noticed Mihashi staring at the candies. She had a puzzled look on her face: _Did I say anything wrong?_ she thought. _Oh well, best to disregard it. Typical Mihashi, with his thoughts always dozing off. Silly Ren-Ren!_

“Are you getting anything for Abe?” asked Chiyo in a soft, gentle tone. When Mihashi registered what she had just said, his face shot as red as a tomato and he began to shyly stare at the floor right beneath him, fiddling with his fingers. 

“Y-y… y-yes!! I will… buy something for Abe-kun! I think… I will! Are… you getting anything… for Tomoi-chan?” exclaimed Mihashi, after suddenly looking up at Chiyo. He had been staring at the floor for a couple seconds before he finally willed up the confidence to say this, while Chiyo had been politely waiting that entire time. 

“Oh, haha!” Chiyo blushed pink and smiled. “Thank you for asking, Ren! Yes, I got her some candies, and I’ll give them to her later! Then, after school, we might go to a ramen bar! That is, if the weather isn’t too harsh!”

_So… I should get Abe-kun candies… and go... with him somewhere… later! Shino’oka-san always does… the right thing!_

“T-t-that sounds, awesome! She… is very… lucky! Can I get some… candies?” said Mihashi. 

Chiyo shone a wide smile. “Sure thing, Ren! Which ones would you like?”

“I would… like the pink box! The… Sweethearts!”

“Sure thing!” She handed him the box. “That will be 100 yen!”

“100… yen… let me check!”  
Mihashi dug through his pockets, and found a few coins. He put them out on his palm, and began counting them. _50… 60… 61… 62… this… is not… enough! What… will… I do… now… I have… no… other plan! Oh no… I will... disappoint… Abe-kun! Oh no… I have to do this! Or else… I will… let him down!_

Tears began to well up in his eyes, and his face suddenly became pale. He started to sniffle and wipe his eyes with the sleeve of his corduroy jacket. _I… can’t… do this… I’m… not… good… enough!_

Chiyo noticed him crying: “Ren-ren, are you ok? Don’t cry, it's ok! Here, I’ll spot you some coins! Here is,” she took a tidy pouch out of her pocket, and began pulling out coins for Mihashi. “10… 20… 30… 40… here, this should be enough!”

Chiyo extended her hand out towards Mihashi. He wiped up some tears, and looked up at Chiyo. _How… did she know… that… I needed… 40 yen! She knew... exactly what I was thinking! Shino'oka-san is... amazing!_

Suspended in disbelief, he graciously took the coins from Chiyo’s palm. “Thank you, Shino’oka-san! Thank you… very much!” Mihashi sharply bowed down to her, and she smiled right back at him. He gave her the 100 yen, and Chiyo said for him to keep the change. Mihashi was dumbfounded by her kindness. _Now… thanks to Chiyo… I can get candies… for Abe-kun!_

“Thank you for stopping by, Ren! I will see you later at Shiga-sensei’s class!” spoke Chiyo. 

“T-thank you, Shino’oka-san! I have to… go to… literature, now! I will… see you later, yes!” said Mihashi, as he cordially waved to Chiyo and began to walk down the hallway. 

And so, with a pink box of candies in his hand, and a rough plan of ideas in his mind, Mihashi continued on to literature class, where he would indefinitely think about Abe while staring out the window at the passing clouds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my story! I really hope that you enjoyed it, and be sure to talk to me on Twitter, @/cornwellianism! Also be sure to join our Oofuri Discord server, whose link is pinned on my Twitter profile! Have a nice rest of your day/night!


	3. St. Valentine's Dilemma: Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was originally planning to write this over three days... but decided to finish it in one night, due to my 'itch' to write some more after reading up on playwriting... lol.. well, hope you enjoy!

Mihashi opened the locker door. His locker was a mess: between crumpled old assignments and month-old sticky note reminders, something always found a way to fall out each time he opened his locker. He rummaged through a pile of papers and took out his battered copy of _Confessions of a Mask_ for literature class, with a folded index card sticking out as a bookmark. Ren stared at the cover of the novel and thought: _I do... really feel... a lot like the… the main character of the book, Kochan-kun… I… always think so much… I… am so quiet… I want… to hide… my… emotions… but, for different reasons... than Kochan-kun…_

Mihashi shut the locker, book in hand, only to see Abe waiting for him at the other side of the steel door. Mihashi leapt up in fright upon seeing Abe smiling at him. _Oh no… Abe-kun!!! Maybe… he is here… to berate me, for not… planning anything!_ Ren broke out in a sweat and his skin shot pale.

“Hi there, Mihashi!” said Abe, still smiling with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes, he saw Ren looking down at his feet, fidgeting with his hands; very obviously in a nervous state. _Damn, what did I say? Come on, Mih- wait, control yourself Taka, think of what Coach Momoe said… I won’t lash out at him anymore, never again, I promised myself!_

“Mihashi… are you ok there?” asked Abe, looking at Mihashi with a sorry look on his face. “Look, I’m sorry if I said or did anything that hurt you, I didn’t mean to.”

_Abe-kun… I know… you’re mad… at me! Just... tell me how, how unloyal I am! I'm ready for it... Tell me… how... I’m a bad boyfriend… for not planning anything, in advance!_

Abe extended his hand and placed it inside of Mihashi's. Mihashi felt the warmth of Abe’s hand in his palm. 

He remembered everything.

As if in a state of paralysis, he stared at Abe’s hand in his palm, and, in doing so, his emotions bloomed.

He thought about that time when he held Abe’s hand for the first time.

He thought about Abe’s warm, delicate hugs.

He thought about Abe’s smile, the way he moved, the way he talked, how Abe would so gracefully write, how he wrote! It was hypnotic, thought Mihashi. 

He thought about their many sleepovers together, staying up late in the dark and talking to each other about their regrets, secrets, and their pasts, all whilst holding each others’ hands, fingers intertwined. 

He thought about seeing Abe wake up beside him on those special mornings, seeing Abe’s eyes open, then seeing him smile upon seeing his face for the first time of the day. 

He thought about those early mornings when Abe would shave whilst Mihashi was brushing his teeth, or how Mihashi would wake up earlier than Abe to make breakfast for the two of them, for none of the others in the Abe household would wake up as early as them two. 

He thought about feeling Abe’s skin for the first time, and touching Abe’s face for the first time moments after they confessed to one another.

He thought about the countless amounts of hours they spent together during practice, and how they’d always hang out together at the local convenience store after each practice.

He thought about Abe giving him the confidence to be a now-famed pitcher, to be able to get up on the mound again and play effectively.

He thought about his overwhelming excitement when they won the match against Tosei together, how him and Abe were in this together, and that their teamwork led them all to victory. 

He thought about Abe crying on his shoulder following their loss against Bijoudaisayama, how they were both there for each other.

He thought about Abe’s affection for him, and his unwavering support ever since they first met, despite the fact that Abe was harsh, in a caring way, during the first chapter of their time together.

He thought about how much Abe had changed for the benefit of their relationship, and how loyal of a partner he was.

He thought about how much he loved Abe.

Mihashi looked up at Abe, in awe, when Abe said to him: 

“I… I love you”

-

“A-a-Abe-kun, I… I…I- love you too!” spoke Mihashi, eyes tearing up.

“I am so glad to be with you, Mihashi, for this Valentine’s Day.”

“M-me too!!! I am… so… happy!”

 _Glad to see that he’s in a good mood again,_ thought Abe. _Now, should I ask him about what to do for Valentine’s Day later, or is he planning a surprise of sorts… even after all of this time with him, he is so damned hard to read! Should I ask him… or should I not… it’s always so hard to ask him anything, there's something about him…_

Simultaneously, Mihashi thought: _Maybe Abe-kun already has a… plan in mind! He… always… is better at deciding! He will… definitely… tell me later, on in this… conversation… or maybe as a surprise! I… know… that Abe-kun... already has an idea in mind! Now… what to do with… the candies I got him! Do… I give them… to him… with… a note? Or… hide… them… someplace!_

“So, um…” spoke Abe. _I should just ask him if he wants to do anything later on today, but the words won’t come out of my mouth! Fuck, why am I so awkward? Just… say it Abe!_

“Um… well…” _I can’t do this, why is it so hard! Mihashi staring at me certainly isn’t helping ou- Abe, cool it. Calm down, for him._ “... I just wanted to say that I, I love you, and that… that… Happy Valentine’s Day...” _Shit! I couldn’t say it, it was too hard… I’m counting on you, Mihashi, to think of something!_

“T-t-thank you, Abe-kun! I… really liked… seeing you this morning! I… think it’s getting… quite late… I have to go to… first period… I’ll see you… in second period!” 

“I’ll see you then, as well! Catch you later, Mihashi!” _Come on, Abe, you shoulda just told him… you don’t have time to say anything now, now that he has to go, and if you tell him that you want to talk later, he’ll freak out!_

“Y-yes, I’ll be thinking about you!” blurted out Mihashi, rather loudly. Abe promptly blushed, and looked down.

_I… can’t control this! Why does he have to be so… cute? I love him so much… fuck it… I don’t care if anybody is watching!_

Abe put his hands on Mihashi’s shoulders and dove in for a kiss. He felt Mihashi’s soft lips press against his: a feeling that was absolutely indescribable. The adrenaline rushed through his body; he felt butterflies fluttering down in his stomach, and he could almost hear hallowed bells tolling. Knowing that he was kissing somebody else who equally loved him in the same manner and magnitude was astounding for him: he never thought that the pitcher would like him back, but he was superbly happy in knowing that he had proved himself wrong. This was more than a mere crush for the both of them, it was more than love, it was a connection of the highest form. The kiss was a moment of pure bliss, a moment without worry, a moment so pure, that he cared about nothing else in the world except for his beautiful boyfriend.

After their five seconds of heaven, Abe looked both directions down the hallway, and saw not another soul. _Good, luckily, nobody saw us. I can’t imagine anybody else but my closest friends finding out…_

Mihashi was, of course, flushed cherry-read. He was so madly in love with his partner; he felt not a care in the world for anything else but being with him. Kissing Abe was the best feeling he had yet to experience… to think that he would be dating the most handsome boy he had ever seen, much more his catcher and friend, a fellow member of the baseball team, and to think that Abe felt the same way about him… it brought a tear to his eye every time he thought about it. 

“Abe-kun, I… love you… so much…” said Mihashi.

“I love you too, my ace, my number one.”

Abe extended both of his hands and held onto Mihashi’s. It was if they were floating together; two divine beings working in tandem: it certainly felt that way.

“B-bye, Abe-kun! I will see you in… an hour, and a half!”

“Bye, Mihashi! I’ll catch you later.” 

Abe let go of Mihashi’s hands, and backed up, walking backwards while facing Mihashi, for a few seconds, before turning around and continuing down the hallway. 

Right when Abe turned around, Mihashi pulled the pink box of candies out of his pants pocket. Staring at it, he thought: _I love him… so… much… he is too… good for me, I’m sure of it…_

Slowly, Abe shrunk into the distance and turned a corner, while Mihashi was on his way, with his book and the lingering kiss of Abe, to first period.


	4. St. Valentine's Dilemma: Part 4

Mihashi arrived at his first period class just in time, mere seconds before the bell rang. The classroom was typical for Nishiura High, with a chalkboard and a wooden desk at the front of the classroom, rows of students’ desks facing the chalkboard in a neatly organized manner, and a large, wall-spanning window that faced outside to a path that wound around the school. Mihashi always chose a seat that was against the window, so he could stare outside at the falling leaves (or, today, the frozen trees), thinking about his beautiful boyfriend. 

When Mihashi entered, nobody was in their seats: everybody was either hanging out around the room or sitting on their desks. Mihashi spotted the only two people he knew in the class, Mizutani and Izumi, both sitting on a desk whilst having a conversation with one another. _They are… always.. so… open with each other! Mizutani-kun… has… great... social skills! I… wish… I was… I was more like him, with Abe-kun!_

“Everybody! In your seats!” boomed the teacher’s voice from the front of the classroom. Everybody scurried about to their seats and swiftly sat down.

Mihashi placed his backpack on the right side of his desk, sat down, and placed his copy of Confessions of a Mask on the linoleum desk. He pulled out his pencil case only to find a pair of tangled earbuds snaking up it, in typical Mihashi 'style' (or rather, disorganization). Everything Mihashi had was a mess: between his backpack, locker, and desk drawers back at home, he would either just crumple loose papers or try and set the loose papers upright, so they wouldn’t crumple (although they got crumpled anyways). Mihashi was way too focused on his Abe to go through and organize his schoolwork. 

“Anyways, good morning class. Today we will be discussing and analyzing pages 52-67…” Mihashi immediately began to doze off as soon as he heard his teacher speak. He tried to resist the urge, but it eventually overpowered him. He had no concern of being told to get his head up by the teacher, for he was as blind as a bat. By the time everybody opened their books, he already had his head laid down on the desk. Mihashi placed his sleeved arm on the desk and used it as a place to rest his head on. The tiredness eventually began to seep in, and before he knew it, his eyes began to close… 

-

Mihashi woke up to the feeling of somebody shaking his shoulders. Right as his eyes open, he saw Mizutani, with a huge smile, right up in his face:

“Mihashi!! Wake up! It’s…” Mizutani’s smile grew even wider, and his eyes began to sparkle. “Snowing outside!!” 

Mizutani suddenly grabbed Mihashi’s shoulders, pulled him upright, and turned his body in the direction of the window. When Mihashi saw the snow blowing, his eyes lit up in wonder. As if by some miracle, a thick curtain of snow permeated the air, and everything outside - the paved sidewalk, the benches, the roofs of the sheds - were covered in a generous blanket of white powder. Everything outside was completely white, and visibility was limited only to a couple of meters: finally, a much-desired snowfall! 

All of the students were lined up against the window, gazing out in awe. Even the stern teacher was amongst the students. After laughing in joy, Mihashi swiftly turned around to Mizutani, standing behind him beside Izumi.

“Mizutani-kun, h-how long has it been… snowing!”

“Probably about fifteen minutes or so, I’m guessing. A lot of snow for only fifteen minutes, I know! At first, it was pretty light, but at around five minutes in, it began pouring in snow! We’ve been staring out the window since then, and I’ve been trying to wake you up, but you were completely knocked out. Damn, this is ridiculous… I can’t wait to go home and sled, or even just walk around!”

“W-woah! Mama... t-told me, that it might snow later, but… I wasn’t prepared… for this! Are we… allowed to… go outside?”

“Sensei said that we could, once the winds died down; otherwise, it’d be way too cold. Kousuke, you know if there are any sleds in the gym, or something? We can go up to that hill, y’know, the one towards the back of the school! And you too, Mihashi, if you want to join us!”

“Not that I can recall, no, but maybe we can ask around?”

“Sure, let’s embark on a journey to find some sleds! It’ll be fun! We can just run around the school asking people… but we’d have to avoid Principal Yamamoto-sensei! Like sneaking around and all...”

Izumi giggled. “Fumiki, please never change.”

“Don’t worry! I’ll always be Fumiki, and you’ll always be Kousuke! Anyways, looks like the wind has finally died down, although there are still curtains of snow falling: looks like a lot of fun! Should I go ask him if we can go out yet? I’ll also ask him if we can look around the school for some sleds. If he says yes, Mihashi, wanna tag along with us?”

“No… thank you, Mizutani-kun! I will… be ok! Plus… I don’t want to, intrude… on you… two!”

“Aww, it’s ok! Don’t worry about us, you’re free to tag along if you’d like!”

Mizutani dashed towards the front of the classroom and asked the teacher if they could go out yet. He began scratching his chin, making a decision, while Mizutani was waiting for him. Mizutani was masking his excited antsiness with a collected demeanor. After some time, the teacher silently nodded, and Mizutani dashed back to Mihashi and Izumi.

Mizutani returned with an ear-to-ear smile on his face, elated that they had been allowed to go. “Kousuke, let’s get going, he gave us the ok! Also, Mihashi, if you’d like to tag along, come with us now, or forever hold your peace!” 

“N-no, it’s ok, Mizutani-kun!”

“Well, if you want to join us later, you know where to look for us! We’ll just be either running around the hallways asking people, or in the gym! Catch you later!”

“Bye… Mizutani-kun! And Izumi-kun!”

Mizutani gave Izumi a slap on his shoulder, signaling him to get up, to which Izumi replied by slapping Mizutani’s shoulder in retaliation. The two of them began lightly slapping each other, trying to tag one another’s shoulders while smiling and laughing until Mizutani ran out of the classroom, hurdling over desks and chairs, with Izumi trailing him.

“Hey! No running!” shouted the teacher, but by the time he said this, they were already out in the hallway. “I swear, it’s always those two…” he muttered under his breath.

 _Wow… Mizutani-kun and Izumi-kun are so… fluent, with one another! I wish I was… as charismatic... as Mizutani-kun… was, with… Izumi!_ thought Mihashi.

“Everybody, it looks like the wind has died down, so you can go outside now! But don’t forget your gloves, your hats, and so on… coldness is no joke!” announced the teacher after everybody crowded around him, asking where Mizutani and Izumi went.

All of the students ran by their desks, picking up their gloves, sweaters, and coats, and ran out towards the door. 

“Wait!!! Don’t run, and especially out there!” spoke the teacher.

Mihashi, unlike his fellow classmates, slowly put on his winter wear and calmly walked across the linoleum flooring of the classroom. Once he exited the door, all bundled up in his coat, hat, and gloves, he looked down the left side of the hallway only to see, through the bustling hallway, his boyfriend similarly standing in a doorframe a few classrooms down. Once Mihashi caught sight of Abe, he cordially waved at him, and Abe flushed red and gave a smile back. Mihashi motioned for Abe to come down to him, to which Abe lightly jogged down the jam-packed hallway and finally met up with Mihashi. Together, the two of them continued down the hallway, Mihashi with his hands in his pockets and Abe with his at his side, silently admiring each other’s presence.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my fic! Fear not, part 2 and a happy ending are coming soon! I already have the whole plot planned out in my head; expect 4 or so parts. Anyways, hope you have a nice rest of your day/evening/night! Stay safe out there, folks!


End file.
